1967 — Page 134

of 259

Page 134 of 259

Page 134 of 259

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

Secondly. I do not myself see any confusion between the "Bowring bungalows" and the multi-storey blocks, but it may be that the need for compression has resulted in a form of words that can be misunderstood. Thirdly. I am glad to assure Members that there was no deliberate intention of excluding any reference to any aspect of this Council's part in the resettlement pro- gramme. But the Urban Council did not originate the idea of multi-storey resettlement. It is clear from the report of the Emergency Sub-Committee of this Council, appointed on the 5th January 1954, that the idea originated in the Public Works Department. Lastly. A proof of the pamphlet was not put before any Select Committee, nor for that matter, was it seen by any officer in my department although, as I said earlier, we did see a typescript copy of the text as revised by the Information Services Department. I might add that, in this respect, the same procedure was followed as in the production of the earlier booklet "Building Homes for Hong Kong's Millions”. I am assured by the Director of Information Services that he would welcome the views of this Council on the contents of the pamphlet when it is next revised. MR. BERNACCHI :—Mr. Chairman, I have several supplementaries. The first regards the sub-paragraph headed "Secondly". Is it not correct that the Bowring bungalows were for the accommodation of the fire victims of Shek Kip Mei, whereas multi-storey resettlement was a more general programme?

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-Perhaps I could answer that, Mr. Chairman. The Bowring bungalows were indeed built in January 1954 to house the victims of the Shek Kip Mei fire, but it was also on January 5th, 1954, that the Public Works Department first suggested multi-storey resettlement for the same purpose and to replace the Bowring bungalows.

MR. BERNACCHI:-Now, the second question is connected with the first and that is, reading from the report of the Select Committee of the Urban Council, the Committee noted that through their convertibility, that is the multi-storey blocks, these blocks would form permanent assests to the Colony, whereas single or two-storey structures on sites suitable for multi-storey development could be regarded only as tem- porary. In that connexion, does the Commissioner still say that there is no difference between Bowring bungalows and multi-storey blocks? COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Mr. Chairman, no, I never said that. What I said was that I see no confusion in this pamphlet (the Commissioner referred to the pamphlet on the millionth settler) between Bowring bungalows and multi-storey blocks.

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MR. BERNACCHI:-The pamphlet, in effect, surely said that multi- storey resettlement was the outcome of the Shek Kip Mei fire, whereas I suggest that the correct thing is that the Shek Kip Mei fire resulted in the temporary Bowring bungalows, and the multi-storey resettlement was of earlier origin. The Shek Kip Mei fire, in effect, encouraged the Government to accept its responsibility of building its own multi-storey blocks to resettle the squatters.

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC Works:

-Mr. Chairman, may I answer that one too? The Shek Kip Mei fire took place on the night of Christmas 1953 and on the 6th January 1954 the then Colonial Secretary, who was Mr. BLACK, wrote to the Director of Public Works and said "I attach the papers about Nissen huts handed to me by Grimwood. You will remember I mentioned this to you yesterday evening, when you said you were strongly against their use even if they can be put up at £50 each, because they waste space, and I understood that you would hope, if any resettlement work were undertaken by Public Works Department, to put up houses of several storeys-you mentioned three or even five." That was on the 6th January 1954. On the 14th January 1954, the Chief Architect wrote to the Director of Public Works headed "Shek Kip Mei provisional housing". "I have investigated the possibility of building multi-storey dwellings to the same standard of finishings as the pro- posed two-storey houses, that is the Bowring bungalows, and have the following comments. 2 storeys $6 per ft. super living space, i.e. $780 per room of 13 ft. x 10 ft., 6 storeys $13.40 per ft. super living space, i.e. $1,700 per room of 13 ft. x 10 ft." He goes on to say it would take 4 to 5 months to complete a 6 storey block from the time of handing over the site. There is no doubt at all that within three weeks of the Shek Kip Mei fire we had in fact produced plans and estimate's for multi-storey resettlement blocks.

MR. BERNACCHI:-Now, that answer, which I thank you for, leads me into the second set of supplementary questions, and that is under the heading "Thirdly". Now, I see that a sub-committee of this Council was appointed on the 5th January 1954. That would be just earlier than the dates that the Director of Public Works has mentioned later in January, and in the answer you say the idea originated in the Public Works Department and it is said that the report of the emergency sub- committee bears that out. I would like to know whether the Commis- sioner is referring to paragraph 9 of the report, first of all, headed "Multi-storey Plans”?

COMMISSIONER for ResettlemENT:-Paragraph 4B and 9.

MR. BERNACCHI:-Paragraph 4B reads "Shek Kip Mei fire victims must be accommodated in an area of building land no greater than, and if at all possible less than, the building they occupied before."